


We Just Don't Talk About It

by MidnightCarnival



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Kink Meme, Nightmares, PTSD, Past Rape/Non-con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-15
Updated: 2014-06-15
Packaged: 2018-02-04 17:07:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1786663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightCarnival/pseuds/MidnightCarnival
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Fill for Kink Meme) Traumatized Tabris has a Vaughan induced nightmare. Only in this one, Alistair is the villain...</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Just Don't Talk About It

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt link: http://dragonage-kink.livejournal.com/328.html?thread=456264#t456264
> 
> I just punched this pretty quick. Hopefully it satisfies.

Tabris' eyes opened from where she lay on a stone floor to find a opulent stone ceiling in place of the fabric of a tent. Touching her chest she found a cotton material in place of hard scale mail and leather. 

Her eyes darted frantically around the familiar room......Oh no.

"The lovely bride is finally awake." A deep and familiar voice sounded and suddenly she was hauled off the floor and into the firm arms clad in silk. 

"Vaughn." She whispered, looking into his face. Her eyes widened as he smirked. Why couldn't she move! It was like all strength was sapped out of her limbs. Oh Maker, how she wanted to snap his shem neck....to gouge out his eyes, to make him pay again. 

"I've killed you before! I'll kill you again!" She snarled, desperately trying to force her limbs to move. Vaughn only chuckled, running a hand down to her rear and latching on, causing Tabris' eyes to widen.

"Not this time."

With those uttered words, she is thrown back onto the bed and pinned down. 'Oh, Maker' she prays 'Return my strength' she desperately ties to move her heavy limbs to no avail. A rough hand grips onto the front of her wedding gown, shooting a sneer at her, Vaughn rips the garment from her body.

'This cant be real....This cant be real!'

Humiliation floods through her as Vaughn grips her breasts and between her legs. She wants to cry at her inability to stop him. 

She feels him now, against her thigh, she clutches her eyes shut against the inevitable. 

"Whats wrong love? Nervous?" 

Tabris' eyes snap open at the familiar voice and her heart shatters at the familiar face looming over her. An uncharacteristically malicious smirk painted on his face. 

With Alistair's face in her mind, he drives into her, tearing her apart. 

Tabris bolts upright with a gasp breathing heavily and sweat on her brow. Her eyes dart around frantically, only slowing when she confirms, yes, this is her tent in the camp. She lets out a breath in sheer relief, bringing her legs up against her chest to calm herself. 

A hand on her back shatters her calm as she whirls around, griping the offending appendage and drawing a dagger she always has on her person.

She drops it when she realizes who she drew on. 

"Whats wrong?" Alistair demands, fully awake and alert for whatever put his lover in such a state. Her eyes wide and searching, looking at him with...fear?

He gripped her shoulders in his hands, noticing the way she flinched from the contact. "are you all right?" he demanded, eyes searching.

It takes her a moment to answer, a curt nod and a mumbled yes, before pulling herself into Alistair's embrace. He feels wetness on his bare chest, it takes him a moment to realize shes crying.

Alistair gulps, unsure how to comfort her, he settles for awkwardly stroking her hair. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asks, unsure. 

"I-" she begins, pulling out of his embrace and taking a breath. Would he look at her differently if she told him? If there was anything Tabris feared, it was being seen as...a victim, as someone who needed to be tiptoed around lest she shatter. 

Tabris did not need that. Despite what she had been through, she refused to back down or compromise. She refused to fear men and she refused to be pitied. 

Alistair's hand cupped her cheek and she instinctively leaned into the contact. 'But shouldn't I trust Alistair?'

"I was to be married once..." She began her story. "It was arranged and all I could think was how desperately I wanted to escape it. To leave the Alienage and my betrothed behind me." 

"Married? You never told me that." Alistair's hand dropped from her face, looking....hurt?

"The marriage didn't actually happen." She hurriedly explained, lest he think she had a man waiting for her back home. "It didn't end well, there were rapists, we got the wrong cake, disastrous." She flinched at her poor attempt at humor and Alistair blinked. 

"Alright..." He started, "that does sound bad." Tabris snorted at his response. 

"He was an Arls son, he was always causing trouble in the Alienage, harassing the women. When he started to harass me, well...my cousin Shianni didn't take well to that and knocked him out with a pot." Tabris smiled at Alistair then and the memory of her cousin. 

"I always protected Shianni when I could, it was strange to have her protect me." Her smile fell. "But Vaughn came back, taking me, Shianni and some of the other women. He wanted to have a 'party' with us." She spat. Alistair remained quiet, letting her let it out as anger at this man began to curl in his gut. 

"I was knocked out when I tried to reason with the shem, He took such an interest in me that I thought...I thought I could convince him to let the others go- to take just me instead." Her hands curl into fists in her lap. "I would have made that sacrifice to protect them, Shianni, and my home." 

Alistair gulped, anger and horror the main emotions running through him. "Did he..." He trailed off, not sure if he wanted to know the answer. He weary look gave him his answer. His heart broke for her. He took her hand into his own, unsure if she would respond well to him pulling her against him. Which is what he wanted to do. 

"You have to understand.." Her voice sounding so tired. "Rape, death, sickness, and injustice were just part of our daily lives, we just didn't talk about these things...Its hard for me to talk about this with anyone- you." 

"Nothing you could say would make me think less of you, you know that." Alistair said with a weak smile that Tabris returned. 

"I know." She whispered letting the silence stretch between them a moment before taking a deep breath to continue her story. 

"I was..still unconscious when it happened to me...I don't know if that was a mercy or a torment in itself. I know it was not Vaughn, but I'm not sure who actually..." She trails of, a stony look on her face. "I'll never know if they died with the rest of their fellows, I'll never know if I got justice. Or as much justice as an Alienage elf can get." 

Tabris' brow furrows, her eyes turn glassy, her teeth clench. Duncan gave Soris and Nelros- my betrothed, a sword and Soris got to me. As soon as I got that sword in my hand it became a bloodbath, one that I let none survive." She rubs a hand over her face. 

"But I was too late. Nelros died, Tirsa died, and that fucking animal Vaughn raped Shianni. I found him there looking so damn proud of himself, offered me money to leave Shianni and the women to their fates. I killed him like the dog he was." Tabris glares at the floor of their tent as Alistair rubs circles with his thumb on her hand. 

"I knew what was waiting for me when we got back, the guards demanded that Vaughn's murderer be given up, I surrendered to protect Soris and Shianni from punishment. Duncan conscripted me to save me from the hangman." She gives a snort of bitter laughter. "Bride, to murderer, to Grey Warden in one afternoon."

"I'm sorry." Alistair mutters only for Tabris to shake her head. 

"Don't be, it was a relief in a way, I don't think I could have faced my father after what happened...it would have broke his heart to know what happened to me...it was bad enough that it happened to Shianni, but if he knew his daughter..." She hangs her head. 

"Is that what your nightmare was about? The one tonight?" He asks, even though the answer is obvious to him. 

Tabris nods, not looking him in the eye as he cautiously pulls him into his arms and whispers assurances in a pointed ear. She would never tell him that it was face that appeared in her dream. She just allowed him to hold her until she fell back into a restless sleep.


End file.
